Just wondering when and if you all drain the water from your water heater.
I didn't used to bother until the van was back on the drive, thinking that it's not too much weight and didn't like to " dump " it all onto the pitch before leaving the site. Afterall no-one likes a soggy grass pitch.
But as we were carrying more weight for our 2 week summer holiday, I felt it was safer to open the drain tap before leaving the site. I didn't like doing this.
Can I ask what you all do please ? I haven't seen any rules about this, so am fairly sure it's OK to drain the heater onto the pitch before setting off.
We tend to open the hot water taps and let it all drain away, but it goes into the Wastemaster, not directly on to pitch. Perhaps you have a different system??
IF YOU GO ON SITES AND FIND DEAD PATCHES ON YOUR PITCH THIS IS OFTEN CAUSED BY EMPYTING HOT WATER STRAIGHT ONTO THE GRASS. WE DRAIN OUR GOING UP THE ROAD.
It might sound like a stupid question, but I haven't really looked into the water system much. How is the hot water pressured? I presume the cold water is pressured from the pump in the aquaroll.
oh er I never thought of draining it into the wastemaster. I'm probably responsible for loads of yellow grass patches. I normally let it all drain out before setting off. Maybe I should change my routine.
Am I missing something here? I only drain down at the end of the year. I do flush disinfectant through the drain pipes into the waste carrier before emptying using the remaining water in the Aquaroll before leaving site.
Well draining into the wastemaster does nothing as to get hot out the top, cold has to push it out coming in the bottom so the tanks still full?. To drain the water heater tank you need to open the drain cock. What you must not do though is let it drain while the water is very hot onto the grass, better to switch the heater off an hour before leaving or drain it, (for the short period of time it will take), on the move while travelling off site.
The point is though you should not travel constantly with the water heater full, this means 20lbs of water is pushing and pulling at the heater/vans side wall while on the move.
Carver heaters don't like it at all and Truma for different reasons are no different, they are simply not designed to cope with it. That's to say nothing of how this weight might upset the balance of the van?.
Duh...we only drain for the winter too! When we arrive on site, the taps are run for a bit to clear stale water from the pipes and heater tank from the last time we were away.
We find it works ok and we don't get any black bits or mucky water either. Maybe we are luckier than most. I flush the system out with a milton solution at the beginning of the season just after I have installed a new filter cartridge.
Oh dear! It's been like that for the last 12 years with no problem. I have only ever drained down to prevent frost damage, vans nicely balanced so will have to see if there is room for 9 litres of plonk in the locker instead.
We only drain ours at the end of the season too! To prevent frost damage. Would it not be very awkward to empty the tank whilst driving out of the site?? How would you get at the drain valve thingy once you have hitched up and moving on?
drain mine down everytime, we put a bowl under the drain tube and open it up no water on grass then!!!!, never travel with a full water boiler far too much weight up front bet if some of you who do check your nose weights you will be supprised how much difference it makes
------------- lifes too short to be sad
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
we always drain ours just before leaving the site, and into a bowl so it doesnt damage the grass, as our heater is at the front of the van and adds to the nose weight if we leave it full
Excellent reply fro Gary, I was trying to think of how to word a similar reply & couldn't have wished to put it better. We always turn our water heater off first, as soon as we get up on the morning of the day we leave, we turn it off to give the heater time to col right down while full of water. I then open the drain cock & then the shower tap to allow air back in last thing before raising the stabilisers prior to hitching up.
All the concern over draining water on the pitch is lost in my opinion. You have no control over any rain falling on the pitch between you leaving & the next person arriving so I wouldn't panic about a drop of water falling from my van as I leave the pitch. Considering some of the mess I've found on our pitch on arrival, a drop of fresh water is nothing.
To avoid the hot water damage, just switch off heater, run hot taps until cold water flows, (you need to empty the aqua roll anyway) then let the water out of the tank.
My manual says its best to open the valve and taps before travelling as the movement will get all the water out of the system.
We always drain, last job before moving off. Our van has a drain tap for cold, and one for hot.
Procedure: (1) Switch off the heater. (2) Open hot tap in kitchen or bathroom. This will allow the heater to fill with cold water. (3) Close tap. (4) Disconnect water pump. (5) Disconnect EHU (6) Open drain tap(s). (7) Open hot and cold taps in van. This allows air into system to obtain a good drainage flow. Leave all taps, including drain taps, open. This lessens risk of residual water in pipes; particularly when freezing is a possibility.
Before draining the heater, it is better for it to be cold, or only warm, as this protects the element. And disconnecting the EHU prevents accidental switching on of the heater when empty; preventing a burnt out element.
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Topic: Emptying your water heater?
It's been like that for the last 12 years with no problem. I have only ever drained down to prevent frost damage, vans nicely balanced so will have to see if there is room for 9 litres of plonk in the locker instead. 
